MUSKEGON HEIGHTS, Mich. — It's been 17 years since Muskegon Heights saw a new private home be built in the community.
The average age of houses in this community range between 85 and 100 years old. Muskegon Heights was built with the infrastructure to be supported by 5,000 residences but at the moment, there are only 3,700 houses.
Over the past five years or so, about 400 to 500 homes have been torn down with none built up in their place.
About 1,300 vacant lots need to be filled with new homes, City Manager Troy Bell says, in order to bring the community back up to its original tax base of 5,000.
Back in 2020, Muskegon Heights launched an initiative aptly named "Reaching New Heights" to combat the problem with hopes of constructing 50 homes a year for the next five years.
They're hoping to attract new developers to complete that project.
"So a new house in Muskegon Heights means a lot. It means tax revenue, property revenue, it means water services," Bell says.
"What we're looking to do is transition the numerous people that we have renting in the community into homeownership, and in many cases, first-time homebuyers," Bell said.
City Manager Bell says while the city has had a few homes erected as part of housing and urban development in 2014, this is the first major development for the city since then.
A recent study on the demand for housing in Muskegon Heights shows that many new home buyers, like millennials, are not looking for fixer-upper homes and want new homes.
That is tough to find in Muskegon Heights, Bells says, which is why this project is vital to revitalizing the community.
"We want Muskegon Heights to be a community that serves you from cradle to grave. We want homes that are for the single just out of college, the starter family home, you know, whether it be a 2 bedroom apartment, or a 2 bedroom house," Bell said.
He also says they're being careful to not price out locals with high-priced homes.
"We want to make sure that the way we develop in the way that we embrace the renaissance in this community does not involve displacing the people who have shared blood, sweat and tears in this community. And that's really tied to how we address the cost issue," Bell said.
The new homes are expected to be priced between $180,000 and $250,000.
The Michigan State Housing Development Authority is offering loans of up to $10,000 to help with down payments for first-time homebuyers in Muskegon Heights. Learn more about eligibility here.
Muskegon Heights is about a 40-minute drive from Grand Rapids where you'll find housing costs are much higher. Bell says prospective home buyers won't mind the commute if they'll be saving $200,000 on a home.
Revitalizing the main downtown strip along Broadway is another goal the city manager hopes these new houses can help tackle.
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.